Title: Intermarium
Author: fal1ingstars, Catch Falling Stars
Pairing/Characters: Pol/Liet, Poland centric
Summery: You won't give him his heart back, because if you did, it wouldn't be yours anymore.

Disclaimer: Do you honestly think I own anything?

You didn't see anything wrong in doing it. You didn't know what you had done wrong, he was breathing softly, eyes closed, and there was so much blood. Oh God, you didn't realize that there would be so, so much blood. You didn't do anything wrong after all.

It was for the best right? His heart was always yours, it had never belonged to anybody else, and now it was yours again. But at the price. His eyes were fearful now, and you turn away, still holding onto his faint heart like it was a lifeline, a beacon for the dark days coming ahead.

You and he were once great together, Intermarium, a partnership, best friends, and so the carefree days passed on, you riding through the steppes, wings flying behind you and he following you, sword raised, charging against the infidels, defending Christianity and the Commonwealth together, happily.

You and him were the golden duo, the partners that could seemingly do nothing wrong, and you had big dreams of one day, a fairness for everybody, the Golden Liberty.

You had those big dreams, you knew that your big dreams were going to happen one day, he however, was a bit more cynical. He was always worried about you, and you always thought that it was kind of cute, the way he worried.

You would grin, a dazzling smile and promise that it would all work out, even if you had to let go of his territories, Belarus and Ukraine. You never thought about whether it would hurt him or not, you just continued, hoping for the best.

Then one day, when the night fell quickly, you realized that your dreams weren't going to happen. You realized that you were too much of a idealist, that the Golden Liberty was going to be the fall of you. He stood by your side, he fought against the inevitable fall of the Commonwealth, and was dragged away still believing that you would save him in the end.

You too became trapped soon, a Nation without a country, with no citizens and no place to call home.

You drifted off, never useful in discussions, and your eyes would feel wet whenever somebody mentioned your Golden Liberty or your freedom that you had lost. You didn't fit into any European court, happiest when you were off by yourself, with the faint memory of him, riding off into the steppes, believing that you could go on forever again, like how it was.

But there would always be a village in front of you, a messenger would be waiting for you, and you turned back, and rode back to the home that wasn't a home.

You tried to escape, but then you would be entangled in your strings again. There would be deportations of your people and his, and you would ask a stranger how he was doing under the new regime.

It was always bad news, and you shut yourself out of hearing him tell of the woes, you grew numb soon and walked off. You would then return back to the court, and dream of freedom. You would saddle a horse again, and try to ride off. Only to get caught in the hidden strings of a masterful puppeteer.

You simply became a puppet, and lived each day in a foggy haze as more of you became gobbled up, became dissolved in favors of the three rising powers. You would protest at times, fight back, but there would be no use in doing that.

You hoped that he, wherever he was, would be better off then you. You promise yourself that you were going to visit him one day, you promised yourself that you were going to apologize to him, but as the days went on, you forgot him in favor of some rest after a hard day of working.

Soon war came again, and your dreams became clouded with visions of him. You finally decide to visit him again, to ask him how he was doing. You knew that one day soon, your bondage would break and you would be free once again to roam the steppes, and he would follow you willingly like it was the old days.

So you waited, and one day, finally you gained your freedom after two hundred years. Freedom tasted like a hot pierogi after a cold day, and you saddled your horse for a visit to him.

You were surprised that he wasn't free yet. You quietly slid off your horse, and begged for silence. You left the horse chewing on the wildflowers in the meadows, and you slowly walk over to the garden where you knew instinctively he would be.

And you watched as he continued to sweep the courtyard, hair pinned up and silent. You wanted to say something to him, but you become shy and the run away. He hears the noise, and follow. You start running, but not too quickly, so he could catch up to you.

He finally caught up, breathing heavily, and you give him one of your dazzling grins. You smile is contagious, and he smiles back happily. Then, all shyness forgotten, you race towards him and catch him in your arms, and you feel like you had never been happier.

He was a bit more hesitant, although you disregard that fact for a moment. You call him by his proper name, and tell him after everything that had happened with great sighs and "Isn't that like, totally unfair!?"

He replies with a nod, and a careful look behind, and he sits with you and listen. Your words pour out towards him, you speak quickly, laugh quickly, laughing more in a hour with him then two hundred years with the other Nations.

He listens patiently, smiling but he seemed slightly detacted. You tell him to listen, and he resumes listening. He seemed so happy for you, that you still couldn't believe it. The hours passed quickly, and he promises to return, and then runs off. You grin, and resaddle your horse, riding back home with a happy heart.

Back home, you start to worry. Worrying really didn't fit you, it was he always worried, and you to chase them away. But you paced back and forth, wondering if you would make a groove on the floor, wondering if it was going to rain, and worrying if he wouldn't ever come back to you again.

He seemed slightly different, and you become afraid that he wasn't yours anymore. You soon grew frustrated, and then angry, and then sad once again, for you know that it wasn't his fault. But the one thing you worried the most about, was that is his heart really yours?

You decided to pay him another visit tomorrow, during the night you try to think of things to say. You stayed up all night, compiling the letters that he had sent you, and the unsent letters you had written for him. You were shy again, and uncertain, and you finally fall asleep dreaming of letters, and of him running away from you.

You wake up before the sun rose, afraid of dreams now, and by the time the first light hit the window, you were already riding away off in the direction of the east.

He wasn't there. You waited for him, a light rain began to fall, and you wonder if he had forgotten about your visit. But you hoped that he was just late, he was always totally late, and any moment now, he was going to show up. But he didn't, and you become scared.

You come to the conclusion that his heart wasn't yours anymore, that he had forgotten completely about you in favor of a man with violet eyes who kept him captive in that large gloomy house.

The next day, your boss calls you to a meeting. He asks you if you've been feeling well, your boss's eyes an odd green that reminded you of somebody else. You didn't know what to say, you kept quiet and hoped everything was going to pass.

You smiled and tell him that 'nothing's like, the matter. I'm like, totally well.', and he starts the meeting. He tells you that he is fearful of the Eastern and the Western Nations wanting to intrude into your freedom again, and that you must somehow rise to a great militarian power.

His exact words were 'like the Commonwealth of long ago'. You felt like crying at that moment, and you ran to him, wanting to thank him for everything. He seemed surprised, and you promise that it was going to be taken care of.

And so while he writes letters and calls the other delegation, you saddle your horse, with a bright heart, dress in your cutest jacket and ride off. It was a bright sunny day when you left, one of those days that nothing wrong was going to happen.

You ride, everything seemed brighter, the pale pink of wild pansies were growing in the meadow, you pluck one from your saddle and place it in your hair. You give a light laugh and continue to ride, every moment your eyes becoming lighter, and your laughter echoing.

More pansies grew, along with the other wildflowers in the meadow. You plait them into a a bow, and you feel happy to be alive and free today where the air was cool and crisp. A light blush was on your pale cheeks as you continued to ride.

Once you arrive however, you lose the smile and wonder how you were going to break it to him. You walk closer to the garden again, and you see him, resting on the bench, the broom leaning against him. He looked tired, worn, and you start to run to him, to tell him to not allow everybody to bully him so.

But you catch yourself, remembering that you had a job to do. You shyly walk out of the underbush, into the garden. Any moment now, you expect him to notice you and open his eyes.

But he does none of those things, and you walk closer and finally you sit beside him, taking a deep breath. "Like, how are you?" Your voice comes out in a whisper, and that was when his eyes opened. He broke into a grin, tired, as if he didn't expect too much, but a grin nevertheless. You wonder if it was the time to tell him, but you don't want to break the moment between you two. It was too perfect, and you were still shy after seeing him.

"Just a bit tired." He replied, and you wonder if the faint blue-black mark on his face was a bruise of just the reflected shadow of the plant he sat beneath. You didn't want to ask, but curiosity got the better of you. Your voice feels funny, it comes out too quiet.

He looks at you, and asks if you are sick. You shake you head, and clear your throat again, and try to remind yourself that this was your best friend you were talking to. "D-did like, something happen?" You ask in a soft voice, gesturing.

He shook his head, head turning away, and you knew by this simple gesture that there was indeed something that was the matter. You smile, and he drew away from you.

"Like, this is totally going to change!" You tell him, and you couldn't see his face, but you could tell that he is smiling at you. You continue to rest on the bench for a moment, both silent, you wishing that there could be something to say to him. You want to tell him that things will be better now, but doesn't know how to put it into words.

"I'm like totally going to tell you away from here." You say once again, trying to cheer him up. Then wordlessly you walk back, leaving the wreath of flowers lying on the bench, as a promise.

A/N: Nothing really big happens in chapter 1. ^^

Historical Note: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was formed by the union of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569. It was annexed by Russia, Austria, and Prussia in a series of Partitions, and after gaining freedom after WWI, Poland pursued a project-Międzymorze.
The Polish name Międzymorze may be translated as "Intersea" or "Between-seas" and has also been rendered, from the Latin, as "Intermarum" or "Intermarium."
The proposed federation was meant to bring back the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. While Poland put great efforts in the project, Lithuania saw it as a threat to it's independence.